As I understand the projected story arcs, David plans on skipping 20 years or so ahead. Treecat society will have changed quite a bit by then. The MAlign will be neigh invisible for that period. One assumes the RF factor will be the front to consolidate the SL rump states into a unified polity to further the Detweiler dream.

In plot terms, the upcoming conflict will be defined in terms self determination and what is the sine qua non of the self. Aliens will be useful in defining those terms as whatever definition that is adopted have to incorporate aliens as well. So tree at integration may be an important element in the future story to better frame where the MAlign are beyond acceptable behaviour.

From that perspective I believe that treecats will begin entering human society as equal participants. They are no longer kittens to the human adult. There is very much they have to learn, much they can teach and limits they and humans need to discover together. What they can't do is insist that their existence remain as it was and depend on humans to safeguard that static existence. Samantha argued that their world was changing and they had better understand those changes. Because that change will continue regardless of what they as a people want.

That's why I think Sam and Nimitz' kids will end up working as partners with Raoul and Katherine rather than as a bonded pair as Nimitz and Honor. Perhaps partners are wrong, more like siblings. I suspect that there will be more of that generation partnering in similar ways with humans as workmates.

PeterZ wrote:As I understand the projected story arcs, David plans on skipping 20 years or so ahead. Treecat society will have changed quite a bit by then. The MAlign will be neigh invisible for that period. One assumes the RF factor will be the front to consolidate the SL rump states into a unified polity to further the Detweiler dream.

In plot terms, the upcoming conflict will be defined in terms self determination and what is the sine qua non of the self. Aliens will be useful in defining those terms as whatever definition that is adopted have to incorporate aliens as well. So tree at integration may be an important element in the future story to better frame where the MAlign are beyond acceptable behaviour.

From that perspective I believe that treecats will begin entering human society as equal participants. They are no longer kittens to the human adult. There is very much they have to learn, much they can teach and limits they and humans need to discover together. What they can't do is insist that their existence remain as it was and depend on humans to safeguard that static existence. Samantha argued that their world was changing and they had better understand those changes. Because that change will continue regardless of what they as a people want.

That's why I think Sam and Nimitz' kids will end up working as partners with Raoul and Katherine rather than as a bonded pair as Nimitz and Honor. Perhaps partners are wrong, more like siblings. I suspect that there will be more of that generation partnering in similar ways with humans as workmates.

I agree with a lot of what you said but keep in mind that no one understands the how and why of the adoption bond. Yes, it makes the pair a lot closer and that may be useful in some cases.

But there is a lot we still don't know about the cats. They've just begun to go in space without the bonds. Will they be happy there?

Note also that they have attached themselves to the bosses. They are more bodyguards and lie detectors than partners. Overthe years there will be more developments but a lot probably has to wait.

Also, an interesting issue: Once a treecat learns something it can be transmitted to all treecats. Do they have to go to the Academy or does just one of them? With a whole lot of them reading can each one know everything about human life?

I would guess there will be limits. Also, keep in mind that while physically they can get into small spaces they are not as strong as much larger humans.

I think working out that relationship will be a key element in the next arc. But I also think the Mesalliance will be playing a role, even if a surreptitious one. Keep in mind as well that there have to be some limits or you lose plots.

If people because of the treecats can always tell when someone is not telling the truth, that will make major changes.

Has anyone considered what Honor's empathic ability means? She can sense both human's and treecats' emotional emanations. 'Cats can't sense human thoughts because they are from different "frequencies". Are these frequencies hard wired or environmentally tuned? Can human and treecat children tune themselves to each other?

There are so many ways that David can expand the next story arc to go well beyond the scope of the story he is about to end.

PeterZ wrote:Has anyone considered what Honor's empathic ability means? She can sense both human's and treecats' emotional emanations. 'Cats can't sense human thoughts because they are from different "frequencies". Are these frequencies hard wired or environmentally tuned? Can human and treecat children tune themselves to each other?

There are so many ways that David can expand the next story arc to go well beyond the scope of the story he is about to end.

The part that I have been wondering about for years now is not so much the extant of Honor's abilities as an individual per say, but how wide spread these traits are in the human race as a whole. Honor is clearly a "psycher". While she can not bend spoons she can read mind, well emotions. It sounds like her father is pretty much in the same boat but never had a treecat... spirit guide... yea lets go with spirit guide... to take him beyond the most basic of interactions. How common IS this next step in human evolution. Is it a wide spread thing, or is it limited to an unexpected byproduct of the meyerdahl first wave. Hell at this point is Meyerdahl populated by thousands-millions-billions of nascent psychers just waiting for the proper mental stimuli to awaken?

PeterZ wrote:Alfred Harrington bonded his wife. Both of them appear to sense the other. They both know where the other happens to be. In all likelihood they can sense each-other's emotions to some degree.

Your post does frame the question nicely. Why bring it up unless it fits a plot device or other literary element in the broader story?

That also goes to ask a more specific question. If the Harringtons are telepathically bonded, and know it, and also know their daughter is strongly telepathic, why is not Allison, a Geneticist of the highest caliber with a lot of funding at her beck and call, not trying to isolate the genes that give this ability?

******RFC said "refitting a Beowulfan SD to Manticoran standards would be just as difficult as refitting a standard SLN SD to those standards. In other words, it would be cheaper and faster to build new ships."

Theemile wrote:That also goes to ask a more specific question. If the Harringtons are telepathically bonded, and know it, and also know their daughter is strongly telepathic, why is not Allison, a Geneticist of the highest caliber with a lot of funding at her beck and call, not trying to isolate the genes that give this ability?

Why don't they have a video translator? Much if not all the treecats/telepathy questions are because they are just plot devices.

Exactly! What plot device does suggesting the Harringtons are telepathic provide? One thing it does is to emphasize the treecat bonds are two ways. That implies some human capacity at telepathy. Darkness Foe suggested as much when he got a vague impression from the combined broadcast from all the clan's memory singers.

The first story arc doesn't require human telepathy or a heavy treecat presence. The second may introduce both to highlight fundemental differences between the MAlign and Beowulfian attitudes in genetics. The humans ang 'Cats of course are fighting to assert their own self determination. Their shared telepathy may well ad a surprise element to the second arc.

kzt wrote:

Theemile wrote:That also goes to ask a more specific question. If the Harringtons are telepathically bonded, and know it, and also know their daughter is strongly telepathic, why is not Allison, a Geneticist of the highest caliber with a lot of funding at her beck and call, not trying to isolate the genes that give this ability?

Why don't they have a video translator? Much if not all the treecats/telepathy questions are because they are just plot devices.

PeterZ wrote:Alfred Harrington bonded his wife. Both of them appear to sense the other. They both know where the other happens to be. In all likelihood they can sense each-other's emotions to some degree.

Your post does frame the question nicely. Why bring it up unless it fits a plot device or other literary element in the broader story?

That also goes to ask a more specific question. If the Harringtons are telepathically bonded, and know it, and also know their daughter is strongly telepathic, why is not Allison, a Geneticist of the highest caliber with a lot of funding at her beck and call, not trying to isolate the genes that give this ability?

Because she is keeping faith with all the other humans bonded to treecats. Recall there is an ongoing conspiracy starting from when Lionheart bonded Stephanie Harrington that the treecats wanted the humans to underestimate them. The human bonded partners have all accepted and complied with that desire. Alyson couldn't do the research openly on herself and Alfred without also opening the filed for questions of 'cats' intellectual potential. There is also the question that as nearly unique examples of human to human empathy/telepathy, she and her husband would be made guinea pigs in addition to drawing the focus on the scientific community on treecats.

Now that the 'cats have decided to open up about their abilities and intelligence in general, those sorts of studies will be more common. With thudded background noise of all the new treecat studies, she can do her own private study on hers, Alfred's and Honor's bond.